


a study of trust

by Leafspeaks



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fever, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Sick Character, Sickfic, Vomiting, of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leafspeaks/pseuds/Leafspeaks
Summary: minho is suddenly very cuddly.  jeongin doesn't think much of it at first.  he thinks a lot about it later.cw: graphic depictions of vomit
Relationships: Lee Minho | Lee Know & Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 18
Kudos: 63





	a study of trust

**Author's Note:**

> this was [from a request i got on tumblr](https://pips-fics.tumblr.com/post/640877520094445568/can-i-request-minho-getting-sick-making-him-super)! feel free to [send me more asks](https://pips-fics.tumblr.com/ask) if you'd like something specific written! :)

for almost three years, jeongin has had a human shadow almost constantly. it’s shape was inconsistent, but most often took the form of seungmin or hyunjin. he’d like to say that he’d grown used to having various members trail him around, and sometimes it was the truth, but other times… it was just suffocating.

the fact that minho had been following him since he’d twisted his ankle earlier in the day didn’t sit well. jeongin was an adult, and had been for quite some time; not to mention, he wasn’t that much younger than the others to begin with. knowing their concern always stemmed from love wasn’t a fully effective salve to his stung pride.

“hyung, just sit there–“ jeongin pointed to the empty space, “this couch is big enough for both of us, you don’t need to sit on top of me,” jeongin complained. he wasn’t lying. the couch was probably big enough for three or even four people, but minho insisted on sprawling over jeongin’s chest even though they were the only two occupying it at the moment. jeongin wriggled around, hoping minho would get off of his own volition before jeongin had to forcibly remove him.

“don’t wanna,” minho protested smugly, “you’re much more comfortable.”

jeongin tried to be understanding. he tried to be accommodating, sympathetic to the genuine concern. he liked to think that he was relatively indulgent with his members, who he loved— but sometimes, it really did get to be too much. jeongin did what he could to rein his temper back in and find his patience, but he needed some space.

with a gentle shove (but a shove nonetheless), he pushed minho off of him and onto the empty part of the couch. jeongin stood up.

“i’ll see you in a bit to record some of the chorus parts. go find jisung or felix, hyung, they won’t mind cuddling.”

minho whined, sniffling. “how cruel, yang jeongin! i’m sick and you won’t even let me cuddle you.”

ah, that _would_ explain minho’s sudden clinginess. jeongin flinched away. “you might be contagious, hyung, i don’t wanna get sick, too. drink some water or something - chan-hyung probably has medicine you could take.” jeongin looked at minho a little more closely, but other than a sniffle and a slight rasp to his voice, he didn’t seem to be doing too poorly. “you’ll feel better soon,” he said, and then he left.

he felt a little bad, walking to the cafe on his own, but mostly he felt relieved. the ambient noise, which didn’t require any sort of response from jeongin, was comforting. after ordering a drink, he dropped into a chair, and was grateful for the hard plastic against his back. it was grounding, a cool contrast to the stifling warmth of another human’s touch.

jeongin was savoring it all when, not more than 5 minutes after he’d sat down with his drink, warm arms wrapped around his chest, quickly followed by a weight on his shoulders. he nearly choked on the urge to groan - and his drink - and elbowed the offender in the gut on instinct before spinning around.

minho was doubled over, wincing. jeongin’s eyes widened - he certainly hadn’t meant to hurt him! he hadn’t thought he’d used enough force for that.

“hyung, are you— i didn’t mean to,” jeongin’s mouth was moving too quick for his brain. he’d stood up and now hovered at minho’s side, unsure how to help. minho waved him off.

“i’m–” he coughed. “i’m fine. just wasn’t expecting it. i shouldn’t have,” minho took a labored breath, “shouldn’t have snuck up on you.”

minho looked very distinctly not fine - but jeongin of all people wasn’t about to call him out on it. after all, he knew best how double-edged that kind of concern could be. jeongin nodded.

“still,” he said. “i am sorry.”

at that, minho cracked a grin. it looked kind of like a grimace, but jeongin figured that was more an effect of the lingering pain than intent. “no, no, you were right,” minho said, and there was something in his voice that jeongin didn’t like. “i’ll go find someone else to bother.”

jeongin frowned. it was what he’d wanted, after all. but something didn’t sit quite right. the sincerity - it was rare for minho to sound so honest, especially about the vulnerable pieces of himself. especially about things like shame, and regret, and hurt.

then again, if minho was going to find another member, it would be fine. jeongin was fairly confident that most of the others were just as capable at handling whatever mood minho was in - and most of them were probably more suited to that task, even. he spared a thought to hope that minho would find chan and let the matter slip from his mind.

it wasn’t until they were setting up to record the chorus parts of the title track that jeongin really thought about minho and his weirdness again. it wasn’t minho’s presence that reminded him, but his absence. chan was already looking for him by the time jeongin showed up.

“the last time i saw him was a few hours ago,” jeongin said. “at the cafe.”

chan checked the clock, and even though they had five full minutes before they were scheduled, his frowned deepened. “he’s usually the first one here, after me.”

that was true. jeongin looked around and saw that all of the other members were already present, and something like guilt sank heavy in his gut. “has anyone else seen him?”

chan grimaced. “felix did, but it’s been some time since then. he said minho was acting a little strange, but that’s kind of…” chan trailed off, but he didn’t need to finish his sentence for jeongin to hear it. _that’s kind of normal._

the truth was, of all the members, minho was still a bit of a mystery. they’d all grown up together, so of course they knew bits and pieces of him inside and out, but the rest of the members wore their heart and soul flayed open at all times. jeongin could probably describe felix’s character better than felix himself could. even seungmin, who had seemed on the reserved side for the first few months, had grown into regular displays of openness.

minho was different. he guarded his heart like one would a fugitive on the run - by pretending it didn’t exist.

“i’ll go look for him, hyung, don’t worry!” jeongin said, the words out of his mouth before he realized what he was promising. and yet, he didn’t care to take them back. chan blinked, hesitated, and jeongin knew it was that troublesome, unwarranted concern again. it struck him that, in a list of members with their shutters closed, jeongin himself probably ranked second. he softened slightly. “i’ll have my phone with me,” he said. “if you want me back, just call me.”

with a wry smile, chan nodded. “send me a text if it takes more than 15 minutes?”

jeongin nodded, and and then he was off.

it was an aimless search. he really had no idea where minho was - he hoped he was in the building, at least, but for all anyone knew minho could have gone back to the dorm, or literally anywhere else. he really was an enigma.

jeongin’s phone rang and he checked the time. it had only been 10 minutes. his heart lept at the thought of good news, that maybe he was overly worried for nothing. “did you find him?” jeongin asked immediately. chan sighed.

“no, but he texted and said he’s fine.” chan went quiet. jeongin chewed his lip.

“do you think he is?” jeongin asked. he already knew the answer. he could picture chan’s frown - the one where he was worried, but trying to be reassuring to anyone who looked.

“i guess we just have to trust him.”

trust. the word lodged itself and rattled around in jeongin’s mind even after he hung up and started making his way - slowly - back to the rest of his members.

as closed off as minho was, jeongin trusted him. all of them did, he knew. jeongin trusted all of his members, completely, but minho especially. for all of his guarded emotions, minho would never allow harm to come to those he cared about, and everyone knew it - except maybe minho himself, who didn’t like to acknowledge that he cared at all in the first place.

the thought that minho didn’t trust them back made jeongin feel clammy. it drove him to take the longest way back he could think of, and it made him backtrack immediately when he heard the quietest gasp coming from the direction of the bathrooms.

he found minho in an open stall, seated firmly on the ground, his upper body wilted over the toilet seat. vomit stained the corners of his mouth. tears ran down his cheeks. he didn’t notice jeongin immediately, which gave the younger boy a much appreciated moment to steady himself, to acknowledge and accept and acclimate to the sharp ache the gripped his heart.

“oh, hyung, you’re really sick.” the words came out like tears, seeping. minho startled, and scrambled to the side of the stall that was furthest from jeongin.

“jeongin.” fear flashed across minho’s face, like jeongin hadn’t seen on his face outside of their survival show and experiencing high altitudes. jeongin stepped back, hating to be the cause of it, when minho spoke again, sounding choked. “you were right, it might be contagious. you should go.”

jeongin shook his head so hard it hurt. “no, i didn’t mean– hyung, here, let me help. please.” he approached slowly, wrapping his arms around minho’s shaking back. minho sucked in a breath, and then released it, relaxing into jeongin’s embrace. then he tensed up and lurched over the toilet with an unproductive heave. jeongin shifted to rub the sick boy’s back.

minho groaned. “you should leave,” he said. “i’m gross right now.”

“no,” jeongin said, as gently, as firmly as possible, addressing both statements at once. “i’ll stay, hyung.”

minho didn’t have a chance to protest before he was being sick. he was shaking so badly that jeongin worried he’d slip to the ground if he stopped supporting him. he brushed a hand through minho’s hair.

“it’s okay,” jeongin said, and he wasn’t really sure why.

minho gasped and another stream of puke splashed into the dirtied water below him, unrelenting. his whole body was tense below jeongin’s hands, so much so that it made jeongin’s own muscles ache. suddenly, in the dim lighting of the bathroom, face covered in barf, minho looked very small, and fragile. like he might shake himself apart. jeongin’s grip on his shoulder tightened as another heave wracked minho’s body.

jeongin’s phone ringing startled both of them. minho looked up during a brief reprieve. “you can answer it,” he said, his words torn apart and raw. jeongin shook his head.

“it’s just chan-hyung. i’ll text him.”

minho didn’t respond to that, jaw clenched very tightly shut. jeongin gave him a stern look. “you should let it out, hyung, you’ll feel better sooner that way. then we can go home.”

it was unclear whether minho took the advice to heart, or if his body simply overcame his willpower - both options seemed unlikely - but soon he was throwing up once again. he didn’t have a breather for so long that jeongin started worrying at the choked sounds. he was about to send a text asking chan if someone could drown this way when it finally tapered off to dry heaves and small dribbles of bile.

minho looked like a soft breeze could break him.

his eyes were sinking shut and his skin was washed out. he’d given up holding himself up and slumped heavily onto jeongin. jeongin wiped sweat and sick from his face with toilet paper, and then flushed the mess away.

“are you done?” jeongin asked quietly, with half a mind to just let minho sleep. the sick boy nodded. jeongin hummed. “we should go home.”

minho nodded, but didn’t move. “c’mon, hyung, it’ll be better for you to sleep in a bed.”

jeongin started to stand, but minho grabbed his sleeve with a strength jeongin wouldn’t have expected him to have at this point. “hyung?”

“don’t leave.” minho’s voice was so, so small. jeongin smiled.

“i won’t. we’ll go together, okay?”

sure enough, minho refused to let go of jeongin’s arm as they walked. chan had texted that they’d cancelled recording for the day, so the other members were waiting in the car already. even as the rest of them fussed over minho, jeongin stuck close. his arm was finally freed when minho fell asleep upon returning to the dorm, but jeongin stayed nearby anyway, even when the other members tried convincing him that minho would be fine if he left.

that was the thing: minho would be fine. jeongin knew that minho was strong. they all did. but something protective had started growing in him since he first saw minho in the bathroom - before that, maybe, too. something protective and urgent, a need that had to be fulfilled.

jeongin trusted minho fully. he needed to know that minho trusted him, too, and he thought this was as good way to start working towards that.

**Author's Note:**

> i know that leaving comments can be stressful and difficult for a million different reasons, so here are some short, copy-and-paste comments which are 110% acceptable to use if you'd like to provide me with some encouragement, but don't have the time or energy to come up with your own:
> 
> 1) "Just read this for a second time!”  
> 2) “I loved this!”  
> 2) “<3″  
> 4) “This was great!”  
> 5) “One of my favorites!”  
> 6) “Extra kudos!”  
> 7) Reply to another comment with “all of this!″ or “+1″  
> 8) “Will definitely recommend this!”  
> 9) “This was my favorite part: [paste quote]”  
> 10) “Thanks for writing this!”
> 
> still don't want to leave a comment? no worries! i hope you enjoyed the story nonetheless!
> 
> if you'd like to see me write something else, feel free to send requests! you can also send me mail [through my tumblr account](https://pips-fics.tumblr.com/ask) :)


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